The Dragon
by StunAStoat
Summary: Loki's punishment doesn't go as anyone expected. Rated M due to the rather heavy nature of the Millenium trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

The two brothers stopped at the base of the throne. Thor looked at his brother, knowing that he would not yield any more than he already had. Electing to stand with his brother, he addressed the Allfather.

"Father, I have returned with my brother, as you see. Because he would not come willingly, I was forced to restrain him."

"My sons," began the Allfather, "the glad tidings of your return are tempered by the manner of it. My heart rejoices that you have returned to us, whole, Loki, but your actions are not the actions of a son of Odin. I would know from what source your power came. How did you come to command the Chitauri?"

At a gesture from Odin, Thor removed his brother's muzzle.

"At the behest of the Mad Titan. I believe you know him, father."

"I feared as much. Thor, what was the extent of the damage to Midgard?"

"Father, we were able to limit the damage to but one city. As we speak the same group of valiant Midgardians who helped me defeat my brother is rebuilding the city. I promised them that I would return to provide aid as soon as I had fulfilled my duties to Asgard, for while the damage was to but one city, the damage was extensive and will require much time to repair."

"Very well, my son, we will attend to the matter of your return later." At this, Odin stood and descended the throne to where his sons stood.

"Loki, my son, you have betrayed your family. You have betrayed your realm, your ruler, your comrades. You have created irreparable damage to three realms with your actions."

He halted a few steps above the base.

"You betrayed Asgard by bringing Frost giants into the realm when Thor was to be crowned. You brought them again to assassinate me while I lay in the Odin-sleep. You killed Laufey, thus ending the stability in Jotunheim and further endangering your own home by having completely destroyed the treaty between our two realms. And lastly, you brought war to Midgard by allowing yourself to be the pawn of Thanos. Explain your actions."

Loki addressed the Allfather without emotion: "My actions speak for themselves. I have no further explanations to offer."

Odin considered his son before he spoke again. "Very well. Your actions speak of malicious disregard for the well-being of all races in the nine realms. Such blatant malevolence and maleficence cannot go free."

Raising his voice, he pronounced, "I sentence you, Loki Odinson, to reflect upon your crimes. You will be restrained, unable to move. You will lose the freedom you attempted to carve from the other realms. In order to understand the biting, burning pain you brought upon these three realms, you will be subjected to the same - the dripping venom of a snake will provide the same suffering as you inflicted."

The only reaction Loki's face betrayed to this declaration was a slight widening of his eyes, whether due to fear or to mere surprise it was impossible to tell. Loki and Odin regarded each other stonily, neither betraying any further feelings.

Odin continued, "Take him away to the dungeon. His sentence will be carried out at first light tomorrow."

Thor reluctantly grasped his brother's arm and led him away. Frigga remained silent still, seemingly frozen, unable to call out to her sons due to the restraints of protocol. Though she was his queen, she could not question the Allfather before his court. She merely looked at her husband, resolving to speak with her sons in private later.


	2. Chapter 2

The door to his cell slammed shut but Thor remained. Loki refused to look at his brother, staring blankly at the floor near his feet, where he sat leaning his back against the cold stone wall.

"Brother…"

Thor began, but did not finish. Loki did not acknowledge his Thor's presence, let alone his word. He sat, nothing more. He could feel Thor's gaze studying him, taking in every detail. Thor sat down opposite Loki, mirroring his position, but staring ahead at his estranged brother. It was not a comfortable silence, but rather stifling and overly full of emotion - Thor's emotion. Loki seemed to be carved out of stone for all the energy - mental or physical - he emitted.

It was like this that Frigga found her sons. Both looked up at the doorway when they heard the door pulled open again.

"Leave us," the queen ordered the guard. After a brief hesitation, the guarded nodded and briskly withdrew, locking the door behind him once more.

Frigga took in the image before her. Her children, light and dark, open and closed, mirror images of one other, finally divided entirely. In their youth it seemed that despite their quarrels, they would not be split in twain, but here she realized the inevitability of their break had always been known to her. That previously unacknowledged fact was what made her so rejoice in her sons' now lost bond.

Coming back from her thoughts, she realized that both her sons continued to stare at her, presumably waiting to find out why she had come. It made her heart ache to see the deadness in Loki's eyes, but at least Thor still looked to have feeling in his eyes.

"My sons, I wanted to speak with you both before the sentence is carried out tomorrow morning. I am pleased to find you both here so that we can discuss this together, as a family."

"If we are discussing this as a family, where is our father?" Thor interrupted angrily.

"Your father-"

"Not my father!" Loki interjected.

At least there was some emotion in his eyes now, Frigga mused, hard and cold as his bitterness was.

"You father," she began again, "continues to speak with the court to reassure them of the continued stability of the nine realms. I have come because it is long since time that we had a discussion regarding our family. We are family, Loki - all of us - despite your protestations. No, my son, it is your turn to listen. As you said, your actions speak for themselves, and you have therefore spoken more than your turn. It is mine now."

She did not let Loki interrupt her, and he fell silent again, almost closed off completely again.

"I am here because I see that you are in pain - both of you. Your father and I did not realize how much pain this revelation would cause. I know that you do not trust us, Loki, but I ask that you give me your attention for a short while, so that you might better understand. And Thor, I ask that you do the same so that we may come to a resolution of sorts, or at least, an understanding.

"I will be as blunt as possible, for the sake of expediency. My sons, while I did not give birth to you, I raised you as my own. That is what makes you mine - the time we spent together, the care I gave you, the devotion, the support. I ask now that you support me in return by fulfilling the roles you each have to play in Asgard in the future.

"You are both princes of Asgard, and you are expected to comport yourselves accordingly. Thor, you must continue on the path you have recently found - the path of greater maturity and responsibility. Only by continuing in your quest for wisdom and restraint will you serve the realm.

"Loki, you must first accept the role you have always held. You are still a prince in the realm, and you must fulfill your duties to Asgard, to me, to your brother, and to your father as you did before. Your knowledge has not changed your role, only your attitude toward it. You will have more than enough time to evaluate, weigh your options, and, I hope, face your pain rather than continuing to inflict it on your family and whatever realms draw your attention next.

"You are of age, both of you - gone is your privilege to enjoy frivolity and capriciousness. You must serve, or you will discover just how easily Asgard can be rid of its princes."

Both of her sons looked at her, startled at her last words.

A sardonic half-smile spread on Loki's face. "And so you turn to threats at last, dear mother." He uttered the epithet with such mockery.

"Not threats, " Frigga corrected sadly, "but truth. If you cannot adapt to your place it will only be a matter of time before you will be cast aside, exiled, or killed. You are the masters of your own fate. Only you can alter the paths you follow. Unlike with ordinary men, however, you must choose to alter your fate not just for yourself. You must choose for the good of many people, not for your own whims, not for your own happiness, not for your own power. This is the true meaning of power. To have power is to give up your liberty. That is the choice you must both make."

"An easy choice for me," Loki said drily, " as it is no choice but rather it is required of me to give up my freedom at dawn."

The key entered the lock again, more swiftly this time, and the door swung open with great force.

"Not your mind's freedom, merely your body's. Your mind will be unfettered."

Odin's unexpected appearance electrified the atmosphere in the room. Thor scrambled to his feet while Loki remained motionless aside from the derisive sneer which arranged itself quickly over his features.

"My sons, it is time for you to part until morning. Thor, please accompany your mother back to her chambers."

"But, father, I would stay with my brother until dawn."

Loki looked sharply at his brother, examining his face, searching for some hint as to why Thor would express such a wild sentiment.

"That will not be possible, Thor. You must remain in the palace."

"No, Father." Thor did not rail, instead softly but firmly continuing, "My place is here, with my brother."

Odin regarded his sons carefully, considering his next move.

"Very well. You may return after you have escorted your mother to her chambers. You will not stay all night. I see that there will be no peace from you unless I acquiesce. But you must go - I desire to speak with Loki alone."

Thor nodded mutely. He cast one more glance at his brother before bowing stiffly to his father. Frigga knelt before her disgraced son and took his face in her hands. They stared at each other for a long moment, but Loki still remained expressionless. Frigga sighed and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Good night, my son. I will tend you as much as I can during the coming years. I will stay at your side, though you cast me away."

She stood again and placed her hand over Thor's arm.

"Come, mother," Thor said with some impatience, "I would return soon as possible."

"Good night, mother," Loki said suddenly. His face and voice were still expressionless, but Frigga thought his eyes betrayed a sliver of emotion. Without another glance, Thor and Frigga swept out of the cell, leaving the Allfather to be shut in with his second son.


	3. Chapter 3

Odin regarded his son, himself inscrutable. The playful young princeling he remembered bore little resemblance to the malevolent man before him. Much had happened since the fateful day on Jotunheim to effect such great changes in his son in such little time.

Odin's steely blue eye unfocused as he continued to reminisce about t eh young princes, f air and dark, cavorting together, causing no end of mischief in their youth. Sighing, he shook his head and readied himself to speak to Loki.

"You are wondering why I am here, - " he began.

Loki interjected bitterly. "You do always state the obvious, All-Father."

"You do not have the power to address me with contempt. I have seen to that, as you are aware. As king of Asgard, I have sentenced you to a long stay in utter misery. Your actions have shown that drastic measures must be taken."

Odin paused. "But all of this you had already anticipated long ago. I come to you now as your father. No, do not interrupt with your claims to the contrary. No matter who sired you, I raised you. It is I who has made you into what you are now. I must also take responsibility for my actions. My errors so plainly visible in retrospection eat at me for what they have done to you. As such, I offer you a chance to make changes in yourself."

"How generous," Loki sneered, "that an old man should seek to assuage his own guilt."

"Yes, my motives are selfish. I wish my son happiness, for, failing that, the prevention of further harm to my family."

"Either way, should I accept or not, you will win this round. I am locked up, where all of Asgard desires me to be, untrustworthy mage that I am. Or, you will have the false peace of mind which will enable you to absolve yourself of your treatment of me. Clever indeed, old man. I would expect no less from a mind as devious as yours. And it is I they call twisted."

Odin continued evenly, the edge in his voice keen, "I lay this choice before you and no other. You may withstand the torture - great fortitude resides within you - though you will certainly remain forever the twisted, hateful outcast reviled by all. If you wish to change your fate, you may take another path and risk reformation and rebirth, allowing you to let go of your hatred. "

Loki laughed, his hollow face animated in mocking laughter. The uncanny sound cut Odin to the quick, though he did not show it. After several moments, Loki's laughter ceased, leaving the echoes to fade away when Odin spoke again.

"You need not choose now. I will tell you what you need to know for this second life, then you may decide at any point during your imprisonment to act on the knowledge. Listen carefully, my son. You are not to repeat what follows to anyone, your mother, your brother, no one. This if for you only."

*****

Thor returned with Frigga, her usual composure stripped by the recent events. He could not recall seeing his mother so deeply shaken. No even when Loki had fallen into darkness had she been so disturbed. She had mourned, and deeply. An air of that loss had remained with her since his disappearance. When news of the Tesseract and Loki's reappearance reached them, she had brightened again for a moment, although her malaise had returned tenfold at the news of his intentions and actions.

"Mother, I wish to return as quickly as possible. Perhaps there is some way to sway father to a less extreme sentence."

"No, my son," she replied, "This is his decree to the court, to all of Asgard. Want what you will, but you must know that naught may sway the All-Father when he is resolved."

"Loki has done much ill, but he is still my brother. I will not let him come to harm through inaction."

Frigga smiled and halted, clasping her son in a tight embrace.

"Thor, you make me proud in your devotion. I appreciate your sentiments - they are admirable desires, but an impossible goal does no good, only harm. Your father will not change his mind."

"How can you abandon him to this unfathomable fate? Who could hope to withstand such punishment, such torture? Loki already is not himself - this will only make permanent his insanity!"

Thor's eyes flashed and he unconsciously grasped Mjolnir in his fervor, its solidity adding to his resolve.

The next words were so soft Frigga barely heard them.

"I will not abandon him to such a fate."

"I have given him all I can, my son. All we can do is allow him to make his own choices. That is the curse of parenthood - you cannot choose for your children. You shape them, impart love, reason, and whatever tools you may to enable them to shape their own futures. You hope that intemperate youths grow to find that the fire of their tempestuous natures banked by the wisdom of experience. No more can be done. As for Loki, he is strong, much stronger than many. You of all people should not underestimate his endurance. He will withstand whatever your father may devise, and find a way to thrive in spite of the adversity. He has always been such."

"Mother, I did not mean..." Thor said, chagrined.

"It is no matter. Go to your brother, provide him what support you can, but do not expect him to accept or even acknowledge your presence with more than contempt."

"Thank you, Mother. I shall stay there for the rest of the night." Thor kissed his mother good night, then returned with all haste to the dungeon.

"My sons…" Her voice trailed off. Swallowing, she watched as Thor ran to his brother's side.

*****

Thor rounded the corner, slowing to a walk as he neared the cell that held his brother. As he approached, he heard his father say, "Think on it well. Remember, you fate is your own doing."

The door swung open and the All-Father emerged, exuding enduring strength tainted by weariness.

"Father, I must speak with you urgently," Thor demanded. "I cannot let this lie."

"Very well. Walk with me - I would return to my chambers as soon as possible."

The two men walked together back toward the dungeon entrance, Thor unconsciously mirroring his father's form as he had for so many years.

"Father, I must ask that you reconsider your sentence. Non one could withstand such torture, nor should we expect it of anyone. I fear for my brother. He will not survive such an ordeal intact."

"My decision is final. You may not question my decree."

"But, Father -" he did not finish.

"I am King of Asgard. My word is law. You will support my decree as a prince of the realm and as my heir. I will permit nothing less."

The two men stared heatedly at each other, their features twisted in pain and anger. Thor clenched his fists at his side and relented. "Yes, All-Father. I will do as you command." He uttered the words begrudgingly, bowing stiffly in deference. "I will return to my brother now. It is there that you will find me tomorrow morning."

Thor whirled, returning down the dank corridor, leaving Odin to stare after him a moment longer before returning to his chambers.


End file.
